Improvement in ballot-boxes



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. SIDDALL.

Ballot-Box.

No.19?,529. Patented Nov. 27,1877.

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Wifnessefi N. PETERS. PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER. WASMKNGTON, D c,

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

YVILLIAM SIDDALL,

OF PIONEER, OHIO.

IM PROVEM ENT IN BALLOT-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,529, dated November 27, 1877 application filed July 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM SIDDALL, of Pioneer, in the county of \Villiams and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and Improved Ballot-Box and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and complete description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of the same.

Figure 1 is a side view of the box. Fig. 2 is a top view. Fig. 3 is an end view of the inside. A portion of the box is represented as removed, in order to show the inside. FigsAc and 5 are detached sections.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several views.

The nature of this invention relates to a ballot-box; and the object obtained is a registration of the ballots as each one is cast, the registration being effected by certain mechanism attached to the box, and which is operated by a cover and tongue hinged near to the ballot hole or slot in the cover of the box.

The construction and operation of the invenare more fully set forth in the following detailed description thereof.

The box in which the ballots are deposited is represented at A, the holding capacity of which may be more or less.

13 is the lid, hinged thereto, and provided with a lock. Transversely across one end of the lid is secured a rib, O, to which is hinged a cover, D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said cover is so arranged in respect to the ballothole (indicated by the dotted lines a, Fig. 2) as to cover the same when shut down upon the lid of the box. To the under side of said cover is secured a tongue, E, Fig. 1. Said tongue, on shutting down the cover, enters the ballothole, for a purpose presently shown. To the under side of the lid B is hinged a door or guard, F, Fig. 4. Said guard covers the ballot-hole, and is held in contact therewith by a spring, G, as shown in the drawings. H, Fig. 2, is a lever pivoted at b to the lid of the box. The inner end of said lever extends back to and under the projecture e of the rib O, which is thereby held from springing upward. The end of the lever is also in the rear of the end of the cover D, and against which the cover pushes on forcing it down upon the lid of the ment, M, formed at one end of the box.

.box. The position of the lever when the cover D is elevated, as shown in Fig. 1, is as shown in Fig. 2, in which position it is retained by a spring, I. To the outer end of the lever is pivoted a pawl, J, arranged to engage a ratchetwheel, K, Fig. 1, also shown in Fig. 8. The ratchetwheel is secured to the end of a screw, L, Fig. 3, arranged transversely in a compart- On said screw is a nut, N, from which projects upward through a slot, 0, Fig. 2, in the top of the compartment, an index or finger, 0, having relation to a scale, P, to which reference will hereinafter be made, the index or finger R of which is secured to the end of the screw L, above alluded to, and whereby it is actuated as and for a purpose hereinafter shown. A similar dial may be placed on the end of the shaft, on the opposite side of the box.

It will be observed that the scale on the dial ranges from one to fifty, and that the scale P ranges from one to one thousand.

The practical operation of the above-described devices is substantially as follows: The position of the box as shown in Fig. 1 is as when in use. In order to deposit a ballot in the box, the ballotis foldedup small enough that it will wholly enter the slot through which it is to be dropped into the box, and in which slot at this time the lower end of the tongue E is partially inserted, as seen in Fig. 1. To allow the ballot to be placed in the slot the person having charge of the box removes the tongue from the slot by lifting the cover D from over the ballot opening or slot, and places therein the folded ballot, but which, however, cannot drop through into the box, for the reason that the check or guard F covers the opening on the under side. The ballot is forced into the box by pressing down the cover D, thereby pushing the tongue into the slot down upon the ballot held therein. This operation forces back the check from over the slot, and allows the ballot to drop into the box.

During the time the cover is being pushed down, the hinged end thereof crowds against and pushes back the end f of the lever H, which, as a consequence, moves the opposite end of the lever forward in direction of the arrow in Fig. 2. This movement of the lever draws forward the pawl J, which, by its engagement with the ratchet-wheel, moves finger B one degree around on the dial-that is, from 50 to the first line or degree marked on the dial, the whole number being 50. This movement of the index tallies one vote. A second ballot is folded up in like manner, and placed by the ballot-receiver in the slot, which he forces through the slot into the box, as above described. This secondoperationmoves the index R another degree, and so on, untilthe index has completed one revolution on the dial, which will tally fifty votes. During this revolution of the index the screw will have cating the hundreds and the fifties, and the scale on the dial indicating the number from one to fifty.

By means of the above-described devices it will be obvious that each ballot will be registered automatically at the time of its being polled, and that the numberpolled can be seen at once by looking at the scales.

To set the machine for the commencement of balloting, the pawl J must be disengaged from the wheel; also the check A used, to prevent a back movement of the wheel while the pawl is actuating it. The wheel, thus freed from the pawl and check, can be turned backward by the index R until the index 0 and the index R are in the relation to their respective scales, as shown in the drawings, said position being that of the devices at the commencement of polling the ballots.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with the ballot opening or slot to of a ballot-box, the hinged check or guard F, spring G, tongue E, and hinged cover D, substantially as described, andfor the purpose set forth.

2. The lever H, spring I, and pawl J, in combination with the hinged cover D and ratchetwheel K, in the manner substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

- WILLIAM SIDDALL.

Witnesses:

ALBERT C. MARSHALL, MARCUS Monnrs. 

